Statement on World Mental Health Day

Commenting on World Mental Health Day, Professor Janet Beer, President of Universities UK and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Liverpool, said:

"We have seen a welcome increase in awareness of mental health generally across society in recent years.

"With fifty per cent of school leavers now entering university, and a student population of more than two million, there is a clear challenge for universities. But I'm pleased that universities are playing a leading role in this area. This includes campaigns and initiatives to talk more openly about mental health, as well as providing support services and effective signposting so that students and staff know where to turn.

"Universities UK also launched a new framework for university leaders last month, aimed at embedding mental health and wellbeing across all university activities.​

"But we know that universities cannot address these challenges alone. We need an approach that joins up schools, colleges, universities and routes to employment, as well as effective links between university mental health services and the NHS."

Notes

​On World Mental Health Day, Paul Farmer, Chief Executive of the mental health charity MIND, has written a blog ​for Universities UK about work to improve mental health in the workplace and the role universities can play.

Blog

Today saw a lot of media coverage and fanfare around a new 'degree course ranking' system. In reality, this was simply the launch of a long-awaited consultation on how to implement a subject-level version of the Teaching Excellence Framework.